LAST GREETINGS

Episode 31

"Getting you is the way I hug you from a distance"

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Mike was sitting at his picket table. He grabbed his phone and read a message from Kevin - a selfie of him and Mega sitting at the dinner table.

Mike smiled reading the caption written by his best friend. His mind glared far away as he looked at the other tall building across the street.

Tania's having a birthday soon. Only a matter of hours left but the girl was not in Jakarta. They are separated by distance and time.

"How are you doing today, Tania ? Have a nice day. Be enthusiastic, you are not alone. My prayers are always with you. I miss you."

Mike plays his finger on the screen and sends Tania a message. With so much confidence he expressed his longing for her, the girl was still not officially his lover. Any minute. Just hang.

Mike then called Kevin, his best friend who was together with his girlfriend, Mega.

"Hello, bro. Don't be envious. We can't take you, we're working" Kevin joked after answering a phone call from Mike.

"Sorry to interrupt your time. Please tell Mega not to forget to contact Tania. Make sure she gets an accurate Tania address, " Mike said without further ado.

Kevin just laughed.

"Mega will get it for you bro" said Kevin.

"alright. Keep dating, bro" Mike said quickly and then turned off the phone.

Mike put his phone to the table and pensively himself. His mind was back on Tania and his plan to meet Tania tomorrow.

"May the universe bless you. Once you accept me to be your lover, I'll never let go again, Tania" Mike murmured in his heart.

* * * * *

Tania is still in the Ija tea house. Indeed he took a little while in his research because Tania used qualitative methods.

He recorded his interview with Ija tea about the nutritional development of his 2-year-old son. Tania also checked the KMS card belonging to the tea boy Ija and made a comparison of the contents of the card with what had been explained by the child's mother.

He spent nearly two hours there before moving to another house.

Ija tea also serves Tania a glass of sweet tea and also a plate of fried cassava.

Tania said goodbye to Ija tea after finishing interviewing Ija tea. He promises to come again if there is still something to ask again.

Tania's time will take at the earliest one month. That means he'll stay away with Mike. Sometimes maybe he will return to Jakarta if there is business to campus.

Tania wants to visit the next house but there are no toddlers. He talked for a week and then moved to the next house.

When he was about to step foot, there was a message from Mike. He quickly read the message.

"How are you doing today, Tania ? Have a nice day. Be enthusiastic, you are not alone. My prayers are always with you. I miss you."

Tania simply smiled without replying to Mike's message.

"You miss me but haven't expressed your feelings for me. You know what ? I waited for that moment to arrive"

Tania continued her research by doing the same as she had done in the Ija tea house.

When she finished the three houses, Tania began to feel her stomach rumble. He glanced at the clock in his arms, just as he was beginning to feel hungry. The time has shown at 12.10 WIB.

Tania continues her steps towards Icha's mother's house. Tomorrow I will continue again, after eating I just learn the data first, he murmured.

Tania finds Icha's mother's house already crowded with her customers. Tania emboldened herself to stay inside even though she was timid.

"Excuse me, pass by ya," Tania said kindly to some of the workers sitting on the porch of the house.

Tania went straight into her room, kept her books and went out and headed to the kitchen.

"I'm home, ma'am," said Tania when she was in the kitchen. There were a few more customers who were in the kitchen and were joking with Icha's mother.

"Yes awewe new ieu bu," said a customer Icha mother with Sundanese dialect.

"Yes ma'am" replied Tania.

"Ieu mah far away. Again there is a college assignment didieu," continued Icha's mother answering her customers earlier.

Tania then sat down and ate together with Icha's mother who was waiting for her.

"Poo the cuddly, pretentious try. Typical sunda," said Icha sambik mother nenyodokkan a bowl of jengkol bowl made.

"What is this ma'am" asked Tania. He had to ask because in his area in Eastern Indonesia, there is no such food.

"That's jengkol eneng. Never tried it. Sok or tried, delicious pisan. It must be addictive if you have eaten one," Icha's mother assured Tania.

"I just found out, Mom. In my place there's nothing like this" Tania explained honestly. Then he took one seed, put it on his plate and tried to eat it.

"Enak ma'am. But it stinks well," Tania said innocently after feeling the smell in her breath.

"Hehehehe, it's okay all the time. It's delicious, the smell can go away. This time I tried it. Later also addictive," said Icha's mother again with a laugh.

Tania laughed and continued eating. Right, he added again after finishing one seed. New experiences with new types of Sundanese food.

* * * * *

Kevin stopped his motorcycle right in front of the Mega boarding house. After a short conversation, Kevin left his girlfriend.

"Don't forget Tania's phone, yes" he said before leaving.

Mega went into her room, put the two dolls in her bed and took one of the dolls and opened it.

Dolls from Kevin. Just like what he bought for Tania.

Mega smiled, then hugged the doll. Thank you my dear, he murmured.

He put the doll on his study table so that he always kept looking at the doll while studying. He didn't want to make it his bolster pillow.

Mega pulled out her phone after the doll for Tania she put it in her closet. He found Tania's contact and called her friend.

Mega has prepared several tricks to be able to get Tania's address. Of course, she doesn't want Tania to know or suspect that Mike will see her tomorrow.

"Hello, Mega. Uhh, I miss. It's so cold here Mega" said Tania when answering a phone call from Mega. Mega just laughed.

"Tania's Spirit. You can definitely get through it. If it's just cold weather it's an easy matter, isn't it ?" Ask Mega while chuckling.

"Hehehe, ready. I just finished visiting some houses and now I'm home" Tania said.

"Am I interrupting your rest, Tania?" Ask Mega.

"No Mega. I just finished eating," Tania replied casually.

"Thank God Tania. Then what about your research assignment, is that where the condition is concerning ?" Ask Mega again.

"It is not yet known Mega. I just visited three houses, there are a few nutritional problems but they can be overcome. I told them how. I will visit again to see the development of her child," explained Tania.

"Alright Tania. Spirit yes," Mega chimed. Then they were silent for a moment.

"Me and Kevin are planning on going to Sukabumi, but we don't know when. Hopefully we can meet there, yes" said Mega again after a moment of silence.

"Oh yeah ? Seriously ? Visit me yes," whine Tania.

"Of course, Tania. As long as we know your address, we will visit you" replied Mega casually. She smiled hoping Tania understood her point that she wanted to find her address.

"Of course Mega, I'll send ya, I ask first mother," replied Tania girang.

Mega smile. He managed to get the address of the girl. Tania has promised to send it.

"Not difficult," muttered Mega inwardly.

Mega chose to lie down and Tania continued to study the data she had obtained. He heard the tape again as his hand flipped open his research file.

"First day was exhausting but I had to finish, '" he murmured.